Northeast Suburb Library

In the heart of Northeast suburb, where garden meets street and memory meets renewal, the library gathers itself gently around the land. Its form bends to embrace the existing tree and garden—an architecture that listens, not imposes.

The building opens with quiet confidence—welcoming, generous, and warm. Along the western edge, crafted brick screens filter the low sun, casting shifting patterns through the day. Within, the soft shadow of leaves dances across walls and tables, as if nature itself were reading alongside you.

Arched forms, drawn from location's architectural past, find new expression here—familiar yet fresh. And beneath your feet and along the walls, blue stone from the former library reappears—anchoring the new in the memory of what came before.

More than a library, this is a civic retreat. A place shaped by its landscape and community—a place that holds space for stories, shade, and slow discovery.


This project was completed at ClarkeHopkinsClarke as part of a collaborative team. The project remains the intellectual property of ClarkeHopkinsClarke and its client. w.a.o studio contributions included Concept design, concept development, design documentation, client and consultant coordination.